Sphinx asellus
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Sphinx asellus |
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| ( Rothschild & Jordan , 1903) |
Sphinx asellus is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae). The species was originally described by Rothschild & Jordan in 1903 only as a form of Sphinx perelegans . Hodges raised them to species rank in 1971, because he saw the differences in the pattern of the forewings and the genital morphology of the males as sufficient.
features
The moths have a wingspan of 80 to 99 millimeters, with a fore wing length of 36 to 43 millimeters.
The top of the forewings is pale silver-gray and bears a series of black lines, an indistinct white spot on the tip and a similar band along the outer edge. The upper side of the hind wings is black and has faded white bands. The species is very similar to Sphinx chersis , but is slightly smaller, paler and has more white above the dark lines on the tip of the forewings. In addition, the underside of the wings of Sphinx chersis is clearly patterned, while the pattern is reduced in Sphinx asellus . The two species cannot be clearly differentiated from one another on the basis of their upper sides; the pale white band on the forewings at the outer edge of the black lines tends to be wider in Sphinx asellus than in Sphinx chersis . The thorax of Sphinx chersis has a single pair of fine black lines running lengthways along the inner margin, while Sphinx asellus has two pairs, although the second pair can be very fine. The gnathos of the male genitalia is slightly notched in Sphinx chersis , in Sphinx asellus it is broadly rounded. The color of the moths is not variable. Other similar species are Sphinx perelegans and Sphinx vashti .
Adult caterpillars have a green base color and have seven pairs of wide, sloping, white stripes on the sides and a purple anal horn . The white stripes are bordered on both sides by a wide purple band. On the dorsal side, the violet runs along the entire length of the white stripes; on the ventral side, the violet begins at the end of a segment and extends up to the stigma . The stigmas and abdomen are also colored purple. On the back of the head, the caterpillars have two large, shiny black spots that are usually hidden by the white collar of the thorax both when they are at rest and while they are eating . In the event of a disturbance, the caterpillars straighten up, as is typical for swarmers, and then point the black points in the direction of the danger and squirm violently. The black dots are characteristic of the species. The similar caterpillars of Sphinx perelegans and Sphinx libocedrus also have a purple color in some cases and this also applies to the lateral stripes, but only the caterpillars of Sphinx asellus have a purple color also to the stigmas, the belly legs and the anal horn. Unlike most other hawk species, the caterpillars of Sphinx asellus do not change color shortly before pupation.
The doll is maroon and has a smooth body surface. The edge on each abdominal segment is colored black. The trunk sheath is exposed and, despite its shortness, forms a clear curve right back to the body. The short cremaster is broad at the base and tapers to a double point.
Occurrence
The species is mainly found in the southern part of the Rocky Mountains . There is evidence from Colorado, Utah, Nevada, western Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. There is little evidence from California along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada from the White Mountains ( Mono County , Inyo County ).
The species is found on stony slopes at medium altitude between about 1200 and 1700 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The moths fly to artificial light sources at night. They have been observed sucking nectar on Oenothera hookeri and Agave parryi .
Flight and caterpillar times
The animals have different flight times depending on the population. In the north they usually fly from mid-May to the end of July, in the south (Arizona, New Mexico) they fly apparently adapted to the monsoon rains in July and August. Findings of caterpillars in the extreme southeast of Arizona near Bisbee ( Cochise County ) in mid-October suggest that the moths will also fly there later. The only previous evidence of the moths from Texas came in mid-May. Although the overall flight time is relatively long, it appears that, viewed locally, the individual populations have rather short flight times and therefore the formation of only one generation per year is close.
The caterpillars are found in the Huachuca Mountains (Cochise County) from mid-August to early September. A little higher in the Mule Mountains near Bisbee, surprisingly, caterpillars can still be found until mid-October.
Food of the caterpillars
In the Atascosa- and Patagonia Mountains in Santa Cruz County , Arizona, the caterpillars are Arctostaphylos pungens (family of heather plants (Ericaceae)) demonstrated. In the Mule Mountains near Bisbee (Cochise County), you can find them at Cercocarpus montanus (Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)).
development
The females lay their eggs one by one on the leaves of the host plants. The caterpillars live as solitary animals. They feed during the day and sit on the midrib on the underside of the leaves. Older caterpillars are easy to find on Arctostaphylos pungens because they sit on the branches. They do not do this on Cercocarpus montanus and are accordingly difficult to find. Pupation takes place in a chamber a few centimeters deep in the ground.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l James P. Tuttle: The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7 .
- ↑ Sphingidae of the Americas. Bill Oehlke, accessed December 27, 2014 .
- ↑ Sphingidae of the Americas. Bill Oehlke, accessed December 27, 2014 .
literature
- James P. Tuttle: The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7 .
